In a move that is so wrong-headed on so many levels, the California Energy Commission wants to ban large-screen TVs because they allegedly contribute to (alleged) global warming.The wording is parsed to suggest "complaint" models will still be permitted, but it's unclear what the requirements will be.

The OC Register reckons that the CEC proposal would likely remove most models over 40 inches from the market. The agency wants to put the new rules into affect by 2011.

Here we have more enviro-puritanism running amok. After all, people like watching big screen high-def TV, especially when the current economy makes home entertainment an economic option. There’s indication how this might be enforced. You can mail-order big screen TVs from Amazon.com (like I did) and other outlets. Californians can also drive to Arizona, Nevada or Oregon to buy one.

Let’s also mention the cockamamie idea of taking products off the shelves during a recession in a state where a good chunk of the population makes a living producing TV and movies and video games – you know, the stuff that plays well on big screen TVs.

The CEC itself says its goal is to avoid the necessity of building more power plants—a questionable priority to say the least. Instead it has declared of war on plug-in appliances and anyone who dares to use them.